Children in planned lesbian families: a cross-cultural comparison between the United States and the Netherlands.
A total of 78 planned lesbian families in the United States were compared with 74 planned lesbian families in the Netherlands. Children were interviewed about disclosure to peers about living in a lesbian family and about their experiences of homophobia; mothers filled out the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results showed that Dutch children were more open about growing up in a lesbian family, experienced less homophobia, and demonstrated fewer emotional and behavioral problems than American children. Homophobia was found to account for part of the difference in psychosocial adjustment between the Dutch and the American children.
Bos
Henny M W
HM
Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department od Education, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. h.m.w.bos@uva.nl
Gartrell
Nanette K
NK
van Balen
Frank
F
Peyser
Heidi
H
Sandfort
Theo G M
TG
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000523:psychology; D002669:Child Welfare; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009426:Netherlands / Q000208:ethnology; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010379:Peer Group; D011287:Prejudice; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology